I don’t buy anything because someone I’ve never met before sends me an email about it – or calls me about it – or leaves a flier on my front porch about it. Now if it’s a friend or my mother – I’ll always check it out – but even then – I probably wont buy it – and that’s mainly because the timing is not right. But in that case – the awareness was created in a more natural human kind of way – a non manufactured way. I now know about something because it was recommended by a trusted person. I may check it out later – I may even tell someone else about it – even if I never look at it – think about that! I just know that my friends and family feel good enough about it to tell me about it and I want to know about it – even if the timing is not right. And also – if my Mom happened to be using this product she was recommending and was getting some referral fee – I’d be like “Come on mom….is it because you think I’ll like it – or is it the cash?” {a.k.a manufactured recommendations}. You don’t need to do that unless you think people don’t love what you do. If they love it, they will tell their family and friends.

But a stranger (usually someone who works for the company – and of no fault of theirs) leaving me some recommendation is a complete waste of my time. In 2013 – it’s not how I discover and buy – and I suspect it’s not how many people discover and buy. People are tired of companies invading their space and pitching their products. Of course these companies think their product will make my life easier. Of course they think I will enjoy being a customer like thousands of others – with case studies to prove it. And it might – in fact – it probably would – but I’m still not buying it because it’s not how I acquire what I want or need.

So maybe it’s because I am older and have become an old grumpy consumer – or maybe it’s because I’ve tried it – because it’s something we are “supposed to do” as a business and it has failed miserably. Either way – I’m a firm believer in running your business and doing things that line up with your personal beliefs. I can’t wake up excited about our business if I don’t.

I can tell you that we (Schedulefly) will never send a stranger an unsolicited pitch about our business ever again. We’ve tried a few times because it’s what you learn in business school and it’s what has worked (with an exhausting, expensive effort) in the past – but the results are dismal and I know people in this day and age are tired of it – even to the point of having a bad feeling about your brand. How awful is that? They have never been a customer and they still don’t like what you do. Crazy.

I want every customer we bring on from this day forward to hear about us from their trusted friend – or their mom.

Here’s to growing slow and natural!

Wes

p.s I should add – that if I am a happy customer already and they are sending something to let me know (because I asked them to) about new stuff like their fall 2014 line of fly rods – that usually works 🙂